Denver (from New York). Aaron Gordon, PF, Arizona

10 / 30

If you’d paid much attention to Twitter and the blogosphere in the wake of Duke’s stunning loss to Mercer in their first NCAA tournament game, you’d be quite sure that not only should Jabari Parker not be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, but he should probably not be in the NBA at all. Or heck, he sounded like a borderline D-League prospect in some corners.
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Have no fear, though. Despite Parker’s poor performance (4-for-14, 14 points, four turnovers), his draft stock was merely dented, not trashed. He remains the best all-around player in the draft, and by the time late June comes around, Parker surely will be among the Top 3 on the board. Remember his overall numbers this year: 19.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 47.3 percent shooting, 35.8 percent 3-point shooting.

And, as things stand now, with Milwaukee possessing the first pick, Parker still looks like a No. 1 prospect from here:

Parker is still the most well-rounded of the prospects in this draft, and the Bucks are a team that badly needs a high-scoring go-to guy. He can’t play great defense? Maybe, but not many college freshmen can.
(Bob Leverone/AP)

Like most of the lottery teams, the Sixers are in need of a centerpiece scoring option, and though Wiggins disappeared at times for the Jayhawks, overall, he showed the talent to be an elite NBA scorer.
(Jeff Roberson/AP)

The Magic loved Marcus Smart, had he entered the draft last year, and Orlando will consider him, depending on where it lands in the lottery. But Randle’s ability in the post makes him difficult to pass up here.
(Steve Helber/AP)

The Jazz need help on the wing, and ideally, they’d land a guy who can complement both Trey Burke and Gordon Hayward. Exum is a combo guard and could be well-suited to take pressure off Burke and allow Hayward to play small forward.

This would be a dream scenario for the Celtics, though much depends on what happens with Embiid’s balky back. If teams determine it is no issue, he could be the top pick. But even if there are lingering questions, he is still a Top 5 guy.
(Orlin Wagner/AP)

The Lakers will have a tough choice to make with this pick—Kobe Bryant could pressure them to make a trade, but the front office clearly wants to use this draft to begin rebuilding. They’re said to have their eye on Exum, but he might not last very long.
(Sue Ogrocki/AP)

Vonleh is a legitimate big man in a draft that features many small forward/power forward hybrids. His size has pushed his stock up, and it will only be solidified when the predraft camp measurements are done.
(Darron Cummings/AP)

Placing McDermott is one of the more difficult things to do when talking to scouts and front office executives. His weaknesses on defense are well-known, but he has developed such a nice post game to go with his perimeter shooting that someone in the Top 10 could take a gamble on him. The Pistons, who are unsure about what will happen with Greg Monroe, are a good candidate.
(Evan Vucci/AP)

Harris was wobbly as a sophomore, but scouts still love his shooting stroke, and the Spartans’ postseason run could help stabilize his stock. He was outstanding (18 points, five assists) in MSU’s win over Harvard.
(Al Goldis/AP)

In a draft pocked with question marks, Payne has established himself as a sure thing. The fact that he is a senior weighs against him, but what Payne has done in the last two years—especially improving his 3-point shot—has made him as NBA-ready as anyone in this draft.
(Al Goldis/AP)

Hood is 21, which could work against him in the draft, but he has been remarkably consistent this year and has shown ample NBA range on his perimeter shot. The Magic need to go from rebuilding to winning, and Hood can aid in that transition.
(Gerry Broome/AP)

Warren closed his sophomore season with 19 straight games of 20-plus points scored, cementing his status as the best pure scorer in the draft. There are questions, primarily about his perimeter shooting, but Warren’s knack for producing points could put him in the lottery.
(Skip Peterson/AP)

The Suns came into the season looking like a team with Andrew Wiggins on the mind. But they’ve far exceeded expectations, and even if they fail to make the postseason, they will at least get a lottery pick to continue their building efforts. A polished, sweet-shooting wing like Young would make sense. (James Crisp/AP)

Ennis has established himself as a tremendous floor leader who shows poise in crunch situations. He does not have high level scoring ability or athleticism, but he will have a long NBA career because of his basketball IQ.
(Kevin Rivoli/AP)

It is looking like the Suns will wind up with three first-rounders in this draft, as the Wolves are unlikely to fall out of the Top 13. Even still, that’s a lot of rookies. Phoenix can afford to take a home-run swing on an international player, and the 19-year-old Nurkic is a raw big man with potential.
(Jusuf Nurkic)

Hollis-Jefferson
had an inconsistent first season at Arizona, but he flashed the kind of
athleticism that scouts love. Starting the NCAA tournament with 31 points on
just 12 field-goal attempts in two games could get him moving up the draft
boards.
(Jaime Green/The Wichita Eagle/AP)

Harrison overcame turnover problems in the first half to steady the Wildcats in their upset over Wichita State, getting to the free-throw line nine times and finishing with 20 points. He still needs development, but he has secured a place as a first-round pick.
(James Crisp/AP)

Nazr Mohammed is 36 years old, and, eventually, the Bulls will need to look elsewhere for a backup center. Scouts are all over the place on Cauley-Stein, who has potential as a solid, defensive-minded big man, but whose offensive game is limited.
(Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

Capela is a 6-10 big man whose size and wingspan (7-4) have piqued the interest of talent evaluators. He has been playing in a second-tier European league, so it is hard to gauge where his game is now, but he has potential.
(Clint Capela)

Early closed the season with a bang, scoring 31 points in the Shockers’ loss to Kentucky. While he needs a more refined perimeter game, his athleticism and give him a significant amount of upside.
(Greg Wahl-Stephens/AP)

Harrison has gotten his 3-point game together in time for the tournament season—in the SEC and NCAA tournaments, he has shot 15-for-31 from the arc, helping the Wildcats to four wins in five games. The longer Kentucky keeps playing, the better it is for Harrison’s stock.
(Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/AP)

Since leaving North Carolina, Hairston has averaged 21.0 points for the Texas Legends, boosting his NBA draft stock and securing a spot in the first round—some scouts even think he could be a lottery pick.
(Bob Leverone/AP)

Grant could return to Syracuse for another season, and he just might do so. Questions about his back, whether he is a small forward or power forward, and a poor finish to the season could send him back for his junior year.
(Nick Lisi/AP)

LaVine could use another year of college, especially with his draft stock so uncertain. He is a quality combo guard, but he would do well to hone his skills as a ballhandler and bolster his draft position. Six points in his last four games probably will push him back to the Bruins.
(Mark J. Terrill/AP)

It is uncertain whether Stauskas can do much more than shoot, but that will be enough to get him in the first round. He knocked down 44.0 percent of his 3s last year and upped that to 45.1 percent this season, including 14-for-28 in his last four games. (Tony Ding/AP)

The older brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo does not quite have the upside of his little brother, but he is an outstanding athlete who can be an NBA defensive stopper on the perimeter.
(Thanasis Antetokounmpo)

Bogdanovic has had a breakout year for Partizan Belgrade, and has averaged 15.9 points and 3.6 assists in Euroleague competition. He is 6-6 and has some point guard ability, though he projects as a 2-guard in the NBA.
(Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)